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Clyd.e Glenn Co. Tampafla 



3 n 
TaT3 



D, 0t 'ti^ 




Compliments of 

The Tampa Board of Trade 

of 

Tampa, Florida 



"3Porewor6 



With the theme of TAMPA in the preparation of this 
little brochure, the process of elimination has been resort- 
ed to on account of the many things of interest and value 
to be mentioned. 

You may rest assured that nothing has been mention- 
ed which should be excluded from the volume, yet it is 
also true that many things of interest that should have 
been mentioned have been eliminated due largely to lack 
of space. 

A much more pretentious volume and a more free 
hand would be required to do full justice to such a subject 
as Tampa. The author bespeaks consideration on the 
part of the gentle reader for errors and omissions. 



Page Tw^o 



TAM IRfr '^^M, EiaBllgB 



introduction 




|])AMPA'S history dates back several hun- 
dred years but in real development the 
time is much shorter. Between 1890 and 
1910 Tampa's growth wals the greatest of 
any city in its class in the United States. 
The percent increase in population was 
596. From 1900 to 1910 only one city in 
the Union made a greater gain in population than Tampa 
with its increase of 143.2 percent. Since being a city the 
growth has been nothing short of marvelous. The last 
United States census gave us 49,156 people, and with 
West Tampa added, the total population of Greater 
Tampa is 59,928, but with the immediate retail trade ter- 
ritory which takes in all of the suburbs and nearby settle- 
ments, our population does not fall far short of 70,000 peo- 
ple. 

Tampa first was heralded to the land as important in 
1898 when the American armies sailed forth from this port 
to plant the "Stars and Stripes" in a foreign land. Since 
that time merchant vessels of all nations have been calling 
at Tampa, and truly it can be said that our city is just six- 
teen- — "Sweet Sixteen." It is just sixteen years ago that 
the first street was paved and now we have seventy-five 
miles of various kinds of pavements in the city. 

Tampa is the metropolis of South Florida, the fairest 
section of the land of health, sunshine and untold possibil- 



Page Three 



ities. It is the commercial and financial center of this fer- 
tile region of resources of immense values. Along this 
portion of the State are located thousands of small islands 
forming the greatest fishing ground on this continent, 
where can be found seafood of every description. It is 
the heart of a section that stands unrivaled in the produc- 
tion of vegetables marketed at a time of year when the 
rest of the country is in the grip of winter. In this sec- 
tion is produced 52% of the world's phosphate supply. 
It includes the greatest sponge market in the world. It 
has the finest climate in the world and produces the gold- 
en fruit that has not a rival. This is the playground of 
the nation. In this city is one of the most scientific and 
up-to-date sewerage systems ever devised. The channels 
in the harbor of Tampa have a depth of 24 feet with a sur- 
vey completed with a view to giving greater depth. 
There are five miles of docking room controlled by the 
municipality and part of this is owned by the city. The 
finest municipally owned hotel in the world is located here 
and is surrounded by a magnificent park. There are more 
than two hundred cigar factories and the output is about 
one million a day, which is more than the total output of 
the whole island of Cuba. More than one million tons of 
phosphate is shipped from Tampa annually, and the total 
value of the port's two and a quarter million tons of water 
commerce yearly is almost $40,000,000. Only ten 
other cities in the Union pay more custom duties to the 
Federal Government than Tampa, its total revenue to the 
Federal Government in eleven years having reached 
thirty millions of dollars. Tampa is the nearest available 

Page Four 



miM R^ l^^€ FLi^Bing 



port of any importance in the United States to the Pan- 
ama Canal. Beautiful public buildings owned by the 
city, the county and the nation are an rfsset of which the 
people are proud, and with the parks and playgrounds 
there is recreation for all. This territory holds the 
world's record on phosphate, phosphate facilities, 
sponges, citrus fruit, winter vegetables and Havana 




Lafayette Street Bridge 



cigars. The people of Tampa believe in the beautiful 
things of life as is shown by the many handsome homes, 
fine churches, club houses, school buildings, the fine Bay- 
shore Boulevard and the dazzling great White Way. 
This denotes the culture and refinement of the people. 

Tampa is the County Seat of Hillsborough County, 
the first county of the United States to vote $1,000,000 for 
the construction of brick roads entirely in the country dis- 



Page Five 



MMIPfet^^^lig 



tricts. Valuation of property in the city is over $60,000,- 
000. It has an exceedingly low death rate and has spent 
more than $2,000,000 in city improvements in the past two 
years. Building permits during the past year totaled $1,- 
625,000 and the bank clearances were $54,000,000. It is 
the city beautiful with some of the finest people in the 
world, and is the ideal location for a wonderful city. It 
made the first "Made in Bond" cigar in the United States, 
has the largest public school enrollment and has more 
white population than any other city in the State, with a 
payroll of $1,000,000 monthly and more ornamental 
"White Way" than any other city in the South. 

We all realize that the march of the settler to 
the westward has stopped and the eyes of the nation are 
all turned southward. This southward vision takes them 
to the Peninsular of Florida which points still further 
south through the waters of the southern seas and shows 
the wonderful opportunities of this section, by command- 
ing the attention of the continent farther southward in- 
cluding all those fast growing and fast developing prov- 
inces. We present to you here this wonderful city and 
section and ask you to compare it with any other section 
and bear in mind that Tampa, the metropolis, is "Sweet 
Sixteen". 



Page Six 




1-Public Library 2— City Hall 3-Union Station 







Oampa, Jf^lorl6a 

AMPA should command your attention if 
you are looking for a place to invest all or 
part of your capital, or if you are looking 
for your future home. To be fair with 
yourself you should at least make the 
wonderful South Florida section, the 
Tampa territory, a visit and we believe 
that such a trip here will prove to you that you are offered 
more inducements and given a greater opportunity for 
health, wealth and happiness than it is possible to find in 
any other section of the country. The present is prosper- 
ous and the future is more than assured. 

Tampa stands as the hub of a great and strong wheel 
which has a radius of 100 miles. Its territory embraces 
all the territory south of Ocala, Fla., with the possible ex- 
ception of the extreme eastern coast of the State. Ac- 
cording to the U. S. census, 219,557 people were located 
in 1910 in this territory, which includes the counties of 
Marion, Citrus, Sumter, Lake, Orange, Hernando, Pasco, 
Hillsborough, Polk, Osceola, Manatee, DeSoto and Lee, 
and it is now estimated that the population is 350,000. 

The wholesale grocery business of the city of Tampa 
alone is proof enough that this wonderful producing sec- 
tion is growing steadily year by year. It was only a few 
short years ago when the total business in that line did 
not exceed $25,000 per month, but now $1,000,000 per 



Patfe Eiiht 




1 — Bank of Commerce 4 — Exchange National Bank 

2 — First Savings and Trust Co. 5 — American National Bank 

3 — Citizens Bank and Trust Co. 6 — First National Bank 



W&MB^ 



month is not exaggerating. The city and towns in this 
great producing section keep growing continuously, some 
of them have doubled and trebled in population in the last 
few years, while in other instances little villages have 
sprung up, and in less than five years have become towns 
of from 500 to 1,500 population. All realize, of course, 
that a city cannot grow and prosper without a back coun- 
try, so this is proof enough that the whole section is 
growing. Hillsborough County leads the list, for its gain 
in population from 1900 to 1910 was greater than the to- 
tal population of any county in the State, with one excep- 
tion. 

First of all we will remind you that a few years ago 
this great territory afforded practically nothing except 
timber. The timber lands are being cut over and is being 
shipped by steam and sail, by rail and water to all sec- 
tions of this country and to many foreign ports. 

In this territory we have the greatest naval stores 
production in the United States, but this of course is be- 
ing diminished year by year and it will not be a great 
while until the factors in this line of business will be turn- 
ing their backs on the South Florida section. To gain one 
end we must lose the other, so it will be to gain the home- 
seeker we will lose the naval stores operators. Probably 
you will ask this question : What are you going to do for 
timber when all the virgin uncut lands have been put into 
development? This can be answered: By inviting in- 
vestors with a little capital, which will prove to be the 
biggest investment for interest they have ever made. The 
solution to this is Eucalyptus and Pecans. It has been 

Page Ten 




A Group of Tampa's Public Schools 



fW »3^ P^f^^ &E FLQgf BS 



proven that this territory will grow pecan trees fast and 
that these same trees will produce profusely. It is an in- 
dustry that is fast taking hold in this section and one 
which will make those who are behind it a fortune. 

The story of the Eucalyptus tree is too long to be 
told here, and those interested can get complete and reli- 
able information from the Department of Agriculture, 
Bureau of Forestry, Washington, D. C, by requesting 
"Eucalyptus in Florida." Our Government has estab- 
lished experimental farms in the State and colonization 
companies as well as individuals have met with great suc- 
cess in planting these trees. They can be planted very 
close together, need little care, grow on almost any ordi- 
nary soil here, providing roots can easily reach water, and 
will bring great returns to the owner which you will real- 
ize is true when it is known that a Eucalyptus tree will 
be large enough to use as a telephone or telegraph pole in 
as short a time as five years. It is a high class wood and 
used in many kinds of fine work. For Florida it is espec- 
ially useful not only as telephone and telegraph poles, but 
for piling in salt water, as it does not deteriorate and is 
immune from the attacks of marine insects, 

Tampa ships more phosphate than any other port in 
the world. The average is more than 1,000,000 tons 
yearly. The Tampa territory produces 52% of the 
world's output of phosphate rock and the grade of rock 
produced is as rich as can be found in any other section of 

Page T'svelve 




1— Hillsboro County Court House 3— State Laboratpry 

2 — Fire Department Headquarters 4 — Y. M. C. A. Building 

5 — Federal Building- 



the world. It is shipped to almost every foreign country 
and the business of handling this product has been the 
means of making fortunes for many, of making indepen- 
dent thousands of men, and of giving employment to 
many thousands of persons as well as totaling up invest- 
ments that will range far into the millions. Is not this a 
wonderful industry? But again you may ask: What 
will you do when the phosphate supply is exhausted? 
This question is one that should not and is not causing 
worry to even the slightest extent. It is estimated that 
with the phosphate property already discovered, there is 
enough of this deposit to supply the world at an increased 
rate every year for hundreds of years to come. In fact it 
seems as though the supply is inexhaustible. We might 
say that the earth has only been scratched, for the surface 
layer is that which is now being mined and below that 
there is known to be two other stratas that are as large or 
larger. 

Tampa territory is the finest vegetable producing 
section in the United States, and even a greater advan- 
tage than being the finest trucking section is the fact that 
tender and delightful garden products are produced and 
marketed at a time when the greatest section of the U. S. 
is in the grip of winter, and our only competitor is the 
most southernly section of California, which is, as you 
know, four days from the center of population in the Uni- 
ted States, while our territory is but a day and a night's 

Page Fourteen 




1 — Tampa Bay Hotel 
2 — Hillsboro Hotel 



3 — Bay View Hotel 
4 — DeSoto Hotel 



ride from the greatest consuming section of our country. 
In the extreme southern portion of the State the average 
length of the crop growing season is from 340 to 365 days 
in the year, while that part of the peninsula which is in 
the northern part of Tampa territory, has an average of 
from 290 to 330 crop growing days. These figures are 
taken from reports of the U. S. Weather Bureau. A few 
figures will not go amiss here. According to statements 
prepared by the U. S, Department of Agriculture the an- 
nual average value of farm products in the states known 
as farming states are: Ohio, $13.36; Illinois, $12.48; 
Iowa, $12.22, and Missouri, $9.29, while the average value 
of farm products in the State of Florida is $109.76 per 
acre. This proves that a farmer who farms in a scientific 
way, which really means intensified farming, can make as 
much profit on ten acres of good Florida soil as the aver- 
age farmer can make in the so-called farming states of the 
North on from fifty to seventy-five or even one hundred 
acres. But, let us add here, we are not advocating having 
all settlers come here to take up property of five, ten and 
twenty acres, but believe that if possible one should se- 
cure a tract of something around fifty acres and on this 
there could be enough diversified interests to keep a fam- 
ily as busy as they cared to be and it would provide some- 
thing that, if taken care of properly, would mean to the 
average settler a living of ease after a few short years of 
work applied in a business way. Farming here is like a 
retail or a wholesale business, you must open up shop in 
the morning, keep it open all day and leave nothing un- 

Page Sixteen 




1 — Seventh Avenue 
2 — Lafayette Street 



3 — Franklin Street at Night 
4 — Bayshore Boulevard 
5 — Franklin Street 



done when business hours are closed when the rays of 
sunlight are lost in the West. 

An objection may be offered to trucking, in that some 
may think it will be overdone, but this is impossible. 
You realize that there will be no more land and that there 
will be no more territory available with our wonderful 
climatic conditions until our Master changes seasons and 
we all realize that is not likely. On the other hand the 
population of our country is increasing steadily every 
year and this is the one section that is depended upon to 
keep the public supplied with delightful garden vege- 
tables at a time when they are compelled to be indoors 
and when it is impossible for them to get such products in 
their immediate section. You probably have heard your' 
grandparents tell of the time when they thought there 
would be an over-production of wheat and corn. At this 
time we cannot supply the demand. 

(Titrus^ruits 

Florida oranges and grapefruit are considered to be 
the finest fruit of the citrus variety on the market, and it, 
too, is such a subject that no one volume can cover the 
possibilities to be offered the isettler in that line. The' 
matter of citrus fruit culture being overdone is answered 
in the same way as that of the trucking industry. You 
have probably heard a great deal concerning citrus fruits, 
their profits, adaptabilities to Florida, the cost of produc- 
ing a grove or a box of oranges, the selling price and 

Page Eighteen 




A Group of Houses of Worship 



fi 




many other phases of the industry, and what is true of one 
section of Florida's citrus territory with respect to the 
above, is true of another, with the exception of a few of 
the minor details. It cannot be doubted that the culture 
of citrus fruits in Tampa territory is profitable because 
there is proof on every hand. 

In dealing with Hillsborough County the following is 
true and with minor changes, is adaptable to other sec- 
tions in South Florida : 

Hillsborough County, situated and bordering on the 
arms of the Gulf of Mexico, is tempered by her tropical 
mildness and renders reasonable immunity from frosts. 
Bear in mind that a frost, however, is not injurious to cit- 
rus fruit, but is an agent which hastens the maturity of 
the fruit. However, a freeze or drop in temperature to 
below 28 degrees Farenheit might be damaging, depend- 
ing upon the condition of the tree. So being situated as 
we are and practically immune from low temperatures 



Page T^wrenty 



ictlm p!fr: 1^^M imas ^ 



thing in the neighborhood of six thousand acres have been 
set to citrus grove in this county within the past two 
years. The future promises to be even brighter for the 
next two years than those which have passed, so let him, 
who desires to investigate, visit ,such sections within our 
boundaries as Valrico, Brandon, Limona, Seffner, River- 
view, Keystone, Thonotosassa, and here you will find the 
grapefruit, the orange, and the other members of the cit- 
rus family, in a state of luxuriance and so it may be said, 
come to Hillsborough County for your grove plantings 
for its inducements are many and the field is unlimited. 

We will not take up space here in giving figures for 
they can be had from every nursery dealer or from every 
land company that is selling citrus property. 

Stock 5\ai5iit3 

Like so many other questions that are brought out 
concerning this State, stock raising would even require a 
much larger volume than either of the foregoing. This is 
a matter for every settler and investor to take up, for the 
settler in a small way will want to have one or more 
cows, some hogs or other kinds of stock, while the larger 
property holder and heavier investor would want a wide 
range and instead of having one or two heads of cattle he 
would want hundreds or even thousands of them. Flor- 
ida is destined to be, and has the possibilities and oppor- 
tunities of making one of the greatest stock raising 
states in the Union. 

We have been raising stock here for years and dur- 

Page T^^enty-three 




5 



many other phases of the industry, and what is true of one 
section of Florida's citrus territory with respect to the 
above, is true of another, with the exception of a few of 
the minor details. It cannot be doubted that the culture 
of citrus fruits in Tampa territory is profitable because 
there is proof on every hand. 

In dealing with Hillsborough County the following is 
true and with minor changes, is adaptable to other sec- 
tions in South Florida : 

Hillsborough County, situated and bordering on the 
arms of the Gulf of Mexico, is tempered by her tropical 
mUdness and renders reasonable immunity from frosts. 
Bear m mmd that a frost, however, is not injurious to cit- 
rus fruit, but IS an agent which hastens the maturity of 
the fruit. However, a freeze or drop in temperature to 
Deiow 28 degrees Farenheit might be damaging, depend- 
ing upon the condition of the tree. So being situated as 
e are and practically immune from low temperatures 



Bird's-Eye-View of City of Tampa, Showing Business District and Lafayette Street Bridge 



renders the location of Hillsborough County ideal with 
reference to location for a citrus grove. 

The fact that the Florida Citrus Exchange, the grow- 
er's organization for the marketing of citrus fruits, has 
chosen Tampa for the main office of its organization is 
sufficient evidence that this county is centrally located 
and offers an attraction to the grove owner. The county 
is well supplied with transportation facilities for handling 
the fruit which is another added attraction. And all indi- 
cations point to this county as ideal for the location of a 
grove. 

In the neighborhood of Tampa may be found many 
profitable bearing groves which offer proof that the citrus 
industry is profitable and that here is an ideal location 
from which to choose a site for a grove. I have in mind 
one grove in particular, situated within a thirty minute, 
drive from Tampa, in an automobile, which has produced 
for the past three years over eight hundred dollars per 



Copyright, lbl4, by W. A. i^^ishbaugh 






acre per year net, to the grove owner. For other concrete 
examples of grove production there are many groves 
within the boundaries of Hillsborough which might be 
pointed to with pride. I point to this one as an example 
for those who contemplate emigration from our Northern 
states to Florida for the purpose of engaging in one of the 
most fascinating and remunerative occupations which 
Florida in all her possibilities offers. The expression 
"Hillsborough County offers you an opportunity for the 
culture of citrus fruits which can not be surpassed by any 
county in the State" is one to be commended. 

Hillsborough County has many hundreds of acres 
which are highly adaptable to the culture of citrus fruits 
and which may be purchased for a reasonable sum. 
Within the past three years this county has made many 
remarkable advances in new development and the oppor- 
tunities are still open for development which will repay 
the investor many times the original investment. Some- 



Page Twenty 



Page Twenty-one 



Page Twenty-two 




|=Sll^8o°SfficTs^%-Tampa Water Works'co^Pumpln?StSr 



*1M R^ ^^^ jF^^^M 



State of Florida every year to supply the demands of our 
own people. 

There are some immense chicken farms now in the 
State and you will find many large flocks located in or; 
around almost every city, but even then we cannot begin 
to supply the trade which is demanding more and more all 
the time, and the poultry business does not need to be a 
strict and separate farm for it has been proven and suc- 
cessfully demonstrated that the poultry farm is an asset 
with a citrus grove. With trucking, of course, you realize 
that is a different matter, for probably you have been 
bothered with chickens in your garden when your Spring 
vegetables were just beginning to peep above the ground. 
No expensive houses are needed in winter for shelter, and 
all varieties of poultry do well in this climate. The laying 
is during the winter months when the price of eggs is 
highest. No extensive capital and not a great acreage is 
needed. At the edge of Tampa are some ideal locations 
for poultry raising. The demand in this city alone ex- 
ceeds the supply of eggs to be had locally. One million, 
five hundred thousand dollars is sent from Tampa annu- 
ally to various states for this product. Five carloads of 
eggs per week leave Tampa for Cuba. 

S(talFoob 

At a meeting of the Fishery Congress some time ago 
one of the United States Fish Commissioners made the 
(Statement that he had fished in every state and territory 
in the Union but three, and from Siberia and Behring's to 

Page Twenty-seven 



Tg M w>Pr. "^ ^M,mmM^m 



ing the War between the States Florida provided almost 
all the meat for the Southern armies. Since then the stock 
from this State has been shipped to Cuba by steamer and 
to the Northern packing plants by rail, and each year 
finds more stock in the State and more people interesting 
themselves in the industry. One of the greatest advan- 
tages offered in this line is the fact that there is forage 
practically the entire year, and there is never more than 
two months of a year when you are required to feed the 
stock and now with the silo which has proven its value be- 
yond a doubt these two months of feeding, if it shouldf 
happen to come every year, would not be a hardship upon 
the cattle or the owner as much as it is in our Western 
states where the cattle have to be fed as much as six or 
seven months. Forage is an easy matter to get here for 
the cattle and there are various kinds of plants and grass- 
es that grow in abundance. For the investor with a rea- 
sonable amount of capital and some knowledge of the 
stock raising business this opportunity is one of the great- 
est to be offered. 



This state is an ideal place for poultry raising, and al- 
though it may sound like a small business to you, this 
statement may startle you. "As much money is sent out 
of the State of Florida for poultry and eggs as the total 
profits from the citrus industry in all its branches." That 
means that several millions of dollars are sent out of the 



Page Twenty-five 




A Group of Clear Havana Cigar Factories 




1— Centro Espanol Club, West Tampa ^^ PiT^".!?, „^^V,tb ° 

2— Centro Asturiano Club , ^, 4— German -American Club 

5 — Centro Espanol Club, Tbor City 



elsewhere to buy their fish scraps for the sole reason that 
none is obtainable here. 

While on this subject it might not go amiss to tell 
our readers that the oysters which are caught in abund- 
ance in Tampa Bay, are as fine as the finest to be had, for 
they are not only sweet in taste but are large and plump 
in size. The waters here for the culture of oysters is 
ideal and there are thousands of acres that can be planted 
with these bivalves and in this industry the opportunity 
for oyster canneries is wide open. There is not one in this 
section and you all know how the whole country clamors 
for fine oysters during the months of the year which 
contain the letter R. There is a chance in these two 
branches to make immense fortunes for any man who will 
be the pioneer and put his money into the development 
of such industries. Tampa is the ideal location for such 
businesses. 

Millions of dollars are lost in the State of Florida 
each year for the sole reason that there is waste. By this 
we mean that an opportunity is being lost by men who 
have a little capital and some nerve, along with good, 
sound business sense, on account of them not already 
knowing the situation. We need plants in the citrus 
growing section of the state that can utilize the culls of 
citrus fruits. The cull is the orange or grapefruit that has 
fallen from the tree and been bruised, or the fruit that has 
been sorted and is not of perfect shape or of perfect color 

Page Thirty-one 



the gulfs of California and Mexico, and everything con- 
sidered, he claimed Florida as being unequalled in the 
richness, variety and attractions for all sorts of sports 
with rod and reel. There are more than 600 varieties of 
the finny tribe in Florida waters, but we are not dealing 
with the sport of fishing for almost anyone knows that 
with the bass, the trout, the kingfijsh and the tarpon, there 
is no other fishing as fine, but from a business standpoint 
there is an opportunity in the State of Florida for a busi- 
ness that might be said is in its infancy. We need plants 
of various kinds to take care of the enormous quantities 
of sea food that are caught in the lakes, the rivers, the sea 
and the gulf. Without these industries the fish must be 
shipped while fresh and there are times when the catches 
are considerably more than the demand, consequently, the 
catch that must be thrown away is an entire loiss. There 
is an opening here for the many factories that use fish ma- 
terial. Fish scraps can be had in abundance and it has 
been said that from the oily varieties of fish those caught 
in these waters have a greater percent of oil than those 
caught in any other section. There is the opportunity 
here to smoke the fish and to can the fish, and, in short, it 
might be said that the opportunity for those interested in 
the fish industry is unlimited. There are thousands of 
tons of these fish brought to the port of Tampa in the 
course of a year and there are many other towns and cit- 
ies along the Gulf coast where the fishing is carried on 
even more extensively. You might be surprised to know 
that even the fertilizer plants operating in this state go 



Page Twenty-nine 




1 — Masonic Temple 2 — Yacht and Country Club 

3 — Auto and Golf Club 4 — Elks' Home 

5 — Knig-hts of Pythias 




Showing- Part of Hyde Park Residential District 

and can not be shipped to other markets. One can pass 
through the orange groves throughout any section and 
find crate after crate of this luscious fruit lying on the 
ground, and this will happen year after year and will be 
left there to rot unless some men with capital will come 
here and utilize this waste product. You have heard the 
expres'sion, "There are millions in it," and it may be ap- 
plied with truth to this branch. Another product that is 
not really a waste product needs attention; there is the 
business opening in this wonderful vegetable producing 
section for capital to be invested in canning and refining 
plants. 

In the canning plants one can hardly realize the 
many things that can be used. First comes the tomato, 
which can be grown in abundance, and they are some- 
thing that vye all know is canned throughout many sec- 
tions of the country and not always sold in case lots but 
in quantities of as high as 500,000 cases to one firm. Then 
there is the strawberry, which has a prolific growth here 
and bears abundantly. Then there are the guavas and 
figs, the pineapple and the asparagus, with the wonderful 
opportunity of shredded cocoanuts. There is the rhubarb, 

Page Thirty-two 



greatest number of inhabitants. Few of the towns and 
cities are there that have not paved streets. All thesei 
roads wind, intermingle and join together to make the 
spokes of this wonderful wheel that has been outlined on 
the preceeding pages. These spokes in this wheel of op- 
portunity extend throughout the whole territory and join 
at the hub, which is Hillsborough County, with its more 
than one million dollars' worth of good roads, and then 
all form a fine net work meeting in the center, which is 
Tampa, the heart of the most wonderful producing section 
with the greatest opportunities to be found any place in 
our great United States. Hillsborough County, of which 
Tampa is the county seat, was the first county in the Uni- 
ted States to vote a $1,000,000 bond issue at one time for 
the purpose of building brick roads in the country dis- 
tricts. We have more than twenty-five miles of these 
roads now and will have seventy-five miles completed be- 
fore 1915 has passed. 

A little descriptive matter no doubt will entertain you 
and it really is necessary to give you an idea of what the 
heart of this great section is. Certainly you want to know 
something of Tampa which is the metropolis of this terri- 
tory, for Tampa is a place of business, a place of beauty, 
and its hand stretches out to call you and to let you 
know that opportunity is at your door. You will almost 
think we have a fairyland after perusing this booklet and 
seeing the photographs contained herein, which can but 
give you a faint idea of what it really is, for, as has been 
said in the foreword of this brochure, it would take 
a much more pretentious volume and a more free hand to 
do full justice to Tampa. 

The area of the city is a trifle over eight miles. We 
have 175 miles of streets and 75 of these are paved with 



Page Thirty-five 



the pumpkin and horseradish, and the great production of 
cucumbers to make into the pickles that are sold in every 
section of our land, and the refining plant with the can- 
ning plant to take care of the fast growing and rich in har- 
vest sugar-cane which grows abundantly and which 
makes the Florida cane syrup, which is known to be the 
finest on the market. These items enumerated here are 
but a few of the great number of crops that grow better in 
Florida than in any other section. 

You would be surprised if you just took a look at 
some of the truck patches here, and an idea of the magni- 
tude of this industry will be given you when I say there 
is one celery patch of a hundred acres within just a few 
miles of Tampa. 

TCan6s 

Let us advise our readers that when they buy land in 
Florida they be sure and buy good soil. Find out what 
the land IS first, then find out the price. Cheap land is 
high priced land. This organization does not take the re- 
sponsibility of picking out lands ; we will not place a value 
on land, and we have no land to sell, but if you are in the 
market for Florida soil and will advise us of your wants 
we will take pleasure in giving your information to such 
responsible firms and individuals whom we think can fill 
your wants. In the so-called farming states of Illinois 
and Iowa, to farm properly you need at least 160 acres of 
good land, which will cost you from $110.00 to $150.00 per 
acre, but here in Florida it is different. We do not want 
to advise you to only buy five or ten acres and try to make 
you believe you will get rich in a couple of years from that 
holding, but buy as much land as you can afford, say 40, 
ou or 75 acres, and if handled in a businesslike way you 
will not be one to want. With the same energy and the 
same money on one-tenth of the land here your returns 



Page Thirty-three 




A Residential Suburb Near the City of Tamya 

will be ten times greater. You can make a comfortable 
living and a small bank account on five acres, and in 
trucking five or ten acres is all one man can care for. 

If you buy cheap land you will spend as much for 
clearing, drainage, transportation, fertilizer and incon- 
venience as it would have cost you to have bought land 
which was good land at the start. Our advice to every 
prospective land buyer in the State of Florida is to see the 
land first, if possible, before making a purchase. If this 
cannot be done then have some friend whom you can 
trust act as your agent and find out what the land which 
has been offered you really is. 

(&ood ^oa6s 

For the number of years that this State has been 
really developing it exceeds every State in the Union in 
good roads. Throughout this wonderful section you will 
find that every county and most of the towns and the cit- 
ies have provided good roads for their settlers. These 
roads have been built along lines and through places and 
sections where the greatest benefit will be had by the 



Page Thirty-four 




A Group of Handsome Residences 



[:irmH.P^ ^ ^fi€ IFfeglffl^ 



cial life is ideal, and to either of the two, Tampa bids you 
welcome. 

The abodes have every convenience of the first cities 
of the country and few of the inconveniences, and the at- 
titude of the city departments for the sanitary good of the 
people, and the attitude of the public utilities for the con- 
venience of the people, makes life worth living in Tampa. 



Social Clfe 



The people of our city have a delightful social life, 
and riches do not make the position that our men andJ 
women hold; it is the individual that counts, they must 
make good, and the glad hand is extended to all who can 
show that they are worthy. 

By having a cosmopolitan city many classes of peo- 
ple will be found here, but there is a feeling which pre- 
vails throughout the city that makes everyone feel at 
home. 

Almost every denomination in religious life is repre- 
sented. Tampa affords some handsome places of wor- 
ship. The people are fair minded and open in their dis- 
cussions. 

The Y. M. C. A. has a large and handsome building 
and it is operated by a competent leadership and gives a 
place for the young men to get acquainted and where' 
they can be entertained, and they can also advance their 
education by attending classes that are taught through- 
out the year. 

The Y. W. C. A. has the support of the people of 
Tampa and it is hoped and expected that they will have a 
building of their own within a short time. Then there 
are the lodges, clubs and the societies which are other 
means of making the social life of Tampa more pleasant. 
All of the larger national lodges have a home in Tampa, 
some of them owning their own buildings, which are 

Page Thirty-nine 




whole population but will be an added attraction for the 
city. 

Z3be !&o6rl3ollHc 

The administration of affairs of Tampa will compare 
favorably with that of any other city. They have been 
most efficient and successful from a business standpoint. 
The attitude of the Mayor, the Council, the Committees, 
the heads of the various departments, the Commissioners 
and Boards are progressive and at the same time conser- 
vative. Much good has been accomplished by the various 
bodies and the welfare of the city has been their foremost 
thought. Some of the things that are of interest to our 
people and to the newcomer which has been carried on by 
this body during the past two years, are mentioned here. 
A large site in connection with the site already owned by 
the city was purchased and on it is being erected a munic- 
ipal building to cost almost a quarter of a million dollars, 
and which will be as fine a city hall as can be found in any 
city near our size. The site for the library was purchas- 
ed, as were the sites for several parks and playgrounds. 
The handsome Lafayette Street Bridge was erected and 
is an asset that would do justice to cities a great deal lar- 
ger than Tampa. The city hospital was added to with an 
addition and its capacity has been increased considerably. 
The Tampa Bay Hotel, valued at $5,000,000, with its 
beautiful grounds, is owned by the city, and it has been 
repaired and kept in first class condition from year toi 
year. There is a city athletic park which has a half-mile 
dirt track, a baseball diamond, a football gridiron, an arni- 
ory, and a large grandstand and bleachers, and it is in this 
park where national leaders of the national game do their 
spring practicing. A new sewerage system has been in- 
stalled at a cost of about $700,000, this is of the Imhoff 
plan and considered to be the finest system in use. Many 



Pa;c Forty-one 







of the streets have been paved, sidewalks have been laid 
and water-front property has been purchased. A seawall 
has been constructed at places fronting the Bay and the 
Bayshore Drive of a mile in length is one of the prettiest 
drives in the country. This street is illuminated with or- 
namental gas lights making it a bright drive by day or 
night, and at the back of this drive are many handsome 
homes with beautiful surroundings. 

The police protection of the city is good and the 
Gamewell signal system is used and has been a great help 
to the law enforcers in keeping the city free of criminals. 
The fire department is efficient and is not only commend- 
ed by the people of Tampa but by the fire insurance un- 
derwriters of the State, and the South. 

(Tare of tl)e SlcK 

Tampa is a health city and we boast of having hospi- 
tals and sanatoriums of the best. The Gordon Keller 
Memorial Hospital is maintained by the city and all mod- 
ern appliances and conveniences with a delightful sur- 




Residential Street Scen^^s in Tampa 



PA- 



ElPRIBiM 



comfortable and expensive. There are quite a number of 
lodges, clubs and societies for the foreign population, 
such as the German Club, Italian Club, Centro Asturiano, 
Centro Espanol, Circulo Cubano, and others. Then, too, 
is the club house and fine golf links, covering more than 
100 acres of the Tampa Automobile and Golf Club, and 
the Tampa Yacht and Country Club, which has a pretty 
home on the Bay and in which are given many of the so- 
ciety functions of the year. And added to all of this are 
several very pretty parks, of which Plant Park is the most 
beautiful, for this is known as one of the prettiest, if not 
the prettiest, park in the South. It borders on the Hills- 
borough river and is filled with tropical vegetation which 
makes the park a place of beauty throughout the year. 
There are the playgrounds which are located in different 
sections, which have proved to be one of the greatest in- 
vestments the city has ever made, for it provides a place 
where the children can enjoy themselves without being 
on the public thoroughfare. Last, but far from being 
least, is the public library which is in course of construc- 
tion and will be completed in April, 1915. This is a hand- 
some building and will not only be a convenience to our 




Country Road Scenes Near the City 




Tampa Bay Hotel and Plant I 



rounding is something of which we boast. The county 
has a hospital and t^ r:e is an old folks' home and a chil- 
dren's home. There are other sanatoriums maintained by 
various clubs and societies which are beautiful buildings 
in delightful grounds and are fitted with modern appli- 
ances and comforts. Other than these there are various 
private sanatoriums where treatment is excellent. 

Mineral springs are numerous throughout the out- 
lying districts and this water is used by a great number 
of people. There is Sulphur Springs, which flows at the 
rate of 30,000 gallons per minute and is the largest of the 
mineral springs in Tampa's vicinity, but there are many 
others of lesser size that are as important or even com- 
mand more importance by some of the people. The sani- 
tary department is responsible in a way for the good 
health prevailing in the city ; garbage is gathered at reg- 
ular intervals and all is burned in a crematory. It is also^ 
this department that sprinkles and keeps the streets 
clean. The restaurants, bakeries, dairies and food pro- 
duct houses are inspected at regular intervals and the re- 



Page Forty-three 




1 — In Ballast Point Park 



2— At the Golf Links 



(tllmatic (roR6ition5 

Florida is known the world over for being a winter 
resort, and figures that can be had from the Government 
Weather Bureau is proof enough that Tampa's climate is 
as near ideal as it is possible to get. Our summer climate 
is delightful for it is then we have our so-called rainy sea- 
son, which cools the atmosphere and makes the climatic 
conditions delightful. The maximum temperature rarely 
reaches 95 degrees and then it is only for a duration of an 
hour or so. Every night is delightful for we have the 
breezes from the water which makes one comfortable 
when other sections of the United States are sweltering 
with the heat. The reverse is true during the winter 
months, for it is then that our Northern neighbors must 
endure the snow, the slush and the cold, while in this sec- 
tion we are comfortable without fires for any length of 
time and with clothing that is comfortable during the 
Spring and Fall of the year in other sections. The re- 
port herewith is no doubt interesting, and covers a period 
of twenty-five years. 



Pa^e Fofty-fivc 



lllBMffilMl 



Tampa, Fla. 

January 
February - 
March 
April - - 
May - - 
June 

July - - 
August 
September - 
October 
November - 
December - 
Year 

Book 



Mean Max. 

Temp. 

tor 

25 Years 


Mean Min. 

Temp. 

for 

25 Years 


Average 
Rainfall 
25 Years 
llnches] 


Rainfall 

for 

1913 

[Inches] 


Rainfall 
for 
1914 

[Inches] 


- 69.0 


51.2 


2.69 


1.09 


4.27 


- 70.4 


52.6 


2.76 


4.02 


3.43 


- 76.5 


57.9 


2.37 


3.09 


1.22 


- 80.2 


61.4 


1.73 


1.39 


2.50 


- 85.7 


67.2 


2.59 


1.49 


1.03 


- 88.6 


71.5 


7.92 


6.75 


4.73 


- 89.1 


73.2 


7.98 


7.01 


6.21 


- 89.2 


73.5 


8.08 


11.08 


5.64 


- 88.0 


71.8 


7.22 


2.44 


6.30 


- 82.0 


65.6 


2.70 


1.54 


4.45 


- 75.8 


57.9 


1.72 


0.27 


2.05 


- 70.1 


52.2 


2.01 


4.20 


4.93 


- 80.4 


63.0 


49.77 


44.37 


46.76 



compiled during January, 1915, using 
average for 25 years. 



No barometer can be used that shows more conclu- 




l_Centro Espanol Sanitorium 2— Gordon Kfller Hospital 

3 — Centre Asturiano Sanitorium 



-n^ ..<\s ";.; 




a,rk — Both Owned by the City 



ports published. This has caused the owner to look after 
the sanitary conditions more closely than in many other 
cities. J 

What few flies that may be found are swatted, but 
then almost every visitor to the City of Tampa makes the 
remark that we have so few flies in this section. We have 
some mosquitoes, but there are not more of them here 
than in the middle states and this statement is borne out 
by the fact that on almost any summer evening you can 
ride along and see families sitting on the veranda, which 
is unscreened. Tampa's air, its surface and its under- 
ground, has nothing to denote sickness and many are the 
persons who come here in the last stages of different ail- 
ments, find relief and often is the case where permanent 
health is restored. 

Whether sick or well Tampa is good to come to. To 
get an idea as to Tampa's healthfulness we might add 
here that Tampa's death rate for the year of 1914 was 16.6. 
Compare that with other cities and you will see that 
Tampa is a healthy place to live in. 



Page Forty-four 




1 — Eggplant Patch 
2 — Cabbage Patch 



A Four-year-old Grapefruit Tree 



3 — Watermelon Patch 
4 — Orange Groves 




t&i!^°.^er Patch 
5-_qtt',^\ting Lettuce 
strawberry Patch 



2 — Tomato Patch 

4_Cabbage Patch 

6 — Celery Patch 






establishments of Tampa retail merchants can be supplied 
almost any want that can be had in cities several times as 
large. 

Every class and kind of business is well represented 
on our busy streets, the establishments are modern and 
their proprietors are men of successful affairs who carry 
for their customers the very best merchandise which the 
world has to offer at a price which is in keeping with any 
other section of the country. The stores are well lighted 
and the windows are tastefully trimmed and decorated. 
The interior decorations and fixtures are of the latest de- 
sign and people for many miles around are attracted to 
Tampa by the reputation of its retail stores and for their 
metropolitan method of conducting business. 

Xil^l)ole5ale Tf nterests 

One statement should be conclusive that the whole- 
sale and jobbing business of Tampa is termed excellent. 
"Tampa's wholesale business twenty years ago was prac- 
tically covered by one wholesale grocery establishment 
and the volume of business amounted to about $25,000 per 
month, but now the wholesale grocery business alone 
amounts to $1,000,000 per month and the manufacturing, 
jobbing and wholesale business of Tampa is more than 
$30,000,000 annually." The heads of Tampa establish- 
ments are all good business men who believe in helping 
their customers, and it is in this way that the magnitude 
of their business has grown wonderfully. Nothing but 
fair treatment on the part of wholesale dealers could 
bring about such a wonderful business growth as has 
been the case among the Tampa firms in the past 
few years. The usual wholesale houses in a city of 100,- 
000 population are located in Tampa and there is an air of 
prosperity about all of these places that shows all persons 
that the situation is entirely satisfactory. 



Pa^fe Fifty 



sively the growth of a community than the banking insti- 
tutions and clearing houses. The total clearances of our 
banks in the past year were over $53,500,000, and it has 
been a gain from year to year, and the industry is carried 
on by men of affairs of Tampa and who are among the 
ablest business men of the city. They have the busi- 
ness interest of the community always in mind. The 
bank's industrial influence and advice from their officers 
has done much to keep the business interests on a level 
and conservative plan. Our citizens feel secure and ab- 
solute safety in their dealings with the local institutions. 
Handsome homes are owned by these institutions and 
they are forever pushing forward. 

Ifotels 

We all realize that the best hotels of a city must have 
capable managements and render good service as well as 
look after the needs and comforts of the public. Tampa 
has some large hotels and it is more trouble to find more 
' room for the public who desire hotels that it is to find 
people to fill the hotels already established. One new 
ten-story hotel was opened this year and that will help to 
take care of the fast increasing number of people coming 
to Tampa at all times. The rates are reasonable and the 
service is excellent. There are about twenty hotels of 
various sizes within the city, and accommodations to suit 
the traveler can be had at almost any daily rate, accord- 
ing to his needs and desire. 

ittercautilcTfnterests 

Tampa enjoys an enviable reputation as a trading 
center and the retail merchants of the city form a most 
prominent feature in the general activity of business. 
This is the shopping center of a large territory and in the 

Page Forty-eight 




Scenes During the Gasparilla Carnival in February 




Surf Bathing — Spring- Water Pool — Fishini 
Motion Picture Theatr 



:ir^M iRfe- i^ ^s, wimmmm 



ittanufac taring 



First of all Tampa leads the world in the manufacture 
of clear Havana cigars with more than two hundred fac- 
tories whose output is about one million cigars daily, 
which is more than the total of the whole island of Cuba 
and any other one city in the United States. Other than 
this line of manufacturing activity we have plants in the 
following branches and of many of them there are more 
than one establishment: Wood working, wagon plant, 
auto tops, ornamental stone, phosphate shipping, fertili- 
zer plant, broom factory, foundries, marine ways, trunk 
factory, automobile tire works, awning and tents, bottling 
works, cement blocks, coffee mills, confectioners, bakers, 
ice plant, ice cream factories, printing, cigar box factories, 
manufacturing jewelers, laundries, macaroni factories, 
brewery, art metal works, upholsterers, potato chip fac- 
tory, automobile branch, barrels, blacksmith, cider and 
vinegar, oil refineries, engraving plant, disinfectant fac- 
tory, furniture makers, gasoline lamp factory, paint fac- 
tt)ry, harness maker, safe and lock works, mattress fac- 
tory, slaughter house, novelty factory, packing house, 
planing mills, sand and shell, storage company, tile man- 
ufacturer. 

O I) express 

There are two high class daily papers in Tampa 
which have full leased wire service of the Associated 
Press. The Times is published in the evening, six days 
a week, and the Tribune is published seven days a week 
in the morning. They also publish weekly papers, and 
then there are many other publications in the city, week- 
ly, semi-weekly and monthly. The Tampa press is lib- 
eral and fair minded and the public is more than satisfied 
with the amount of good that is being done by these pub- 
Page Fifty-t-wo 




Alons 



(Tommercial Tfnstitutiou 

The Tampa Board of Trade, under whose auspices 
this booklet is published, endeavors to carry on work 
which covers a broad and far-reaching area. Its duties 
are many more than can possibly be mentioned here, but 
among the foremost is the gathering and disseminating 
of statistics that are reliable and accurate ; to give to those 
interested in this section a general idea in truth of what 
they might expect should they make a visit to this sec- 
tion; to stand for such activities and developments that 
will be of most value to most people ; to deal in civic mat- 
ters that tend to build up the community ; to interest cap- 
ital to invest in various properties in need of develop-' 
ment ; to work for better conditions and facilities pertain- 
ing to our port; to be of benefit to the public in the way 
of having a power with transportation companies to af- 
ford better service. In fact, the duties of the organization 
are to work for the betterment of conditions for our peo- 
ple, to take up matters of national, state and local import- 



Page Fifty-five 




Surf Bathing-Spring Water Pool— Fishing from the Docks and 
Motion Picture Theatres 






lications from day to day. Sample copies of the daily pa- 
pers will be mailed to all those who request and we feel 
safe in saying that no city in the Union of double the pop- 
ulation of Tampa has a better paper than either one of 
those published in this city. It can truly be said they are 
metropolitan newspapers. 

transportation 

This is a line of achievment of which Tampa can 
justly be proud, for we are served well with both water 
and rail facilities. The railroads represented are the Sea- 
board Air Line, the Atlantic Coast Line, the Tampa Nor- 
thern and the Tampa and Gulf Coast, which are complet- 
ed lines and are serving the whole country advantageous- 
ly, and there are two proposed lines, with Tampa as a ter- 
minus, crossing the State from east to west about one-half 
way between the center and the southern extremities of 
the peninsula. 

(Tommerce 

Every one of the above named transportation lines 
handle a large volume of business and for water transpor- 
tation we have a depth of twenty-four feet in the channels 
and implements of commerce such as loading elevators, 
discharging elevators and warehouses that would be a 
credit to some of the larger ports along the northern At- 
lantic. Our commerce is steadily increasing as you will 
no doubt know when you are told that the Federal Gov- 
ernment has deepened our channel from eight feet to 
twenty-four feet in fifteen years, and a survey has just 
been completed with a view to giving us a depth of thirty 
feet. The deep sea commerce handled through the Port 
of Tampa last year totaled about two and a quarter mil- 
lion tons, valued at more than $37,000,000. 



Page Fifty-four 




ance that will be of benefit to the community ; to protest 
and work against matters that we feel would be a detri- 
ment to the community. We herald information through- 
out the world to all interested parties telling of the won- 
derful opportunities and possibilities that await them in 
Tampa and its territory. We stand for Tampa first, for 
Hillsborough County next, and for our wonderful pro- 
ducing section of South Florida and everything that will 
be of interest to it that can be handled by the organiza- 
tion. 

The Tampa Board of Trade is composed of the fore- 
most business men in our community who are looking to- 
wards the welfare and up-building of the entire section. 

To Tampa, the metropolis of South Florida and the 
fastest growing city in America, we bid you welcom.e. A 
thousand times the amount of literature we could send 
you could not make as favorable an impression of this 
wonderful country as would a personal investigation. 

Your correspondence solicited, but come and look, — 
you will cast your lot among us and you will be satisfied. 



Page Fifty-six 




Scenes of Tampa's Harbor, Showing Mari 




Shipping- Scenes and Government Vessels, Showing Water Commerce Activity 




ctivity and Cargo-Handling Facilities 

pD 6 6. 



kb*«li 



FREE INFORMATION 

about 
fAMPA AND THE WEST COAST 
at the office of 
VIRGINIA PARK 







OFFICE OF VIRGINIA PARK 

laps, Guide Books, Folders, Tele- 
phone and Waiting Room at 
Your Disposal 

L. P. BOTTENFIELD, Agent 

Strand Theatre Bldg. 

Phone 3463 

Corner Twiggs and Tampa Streets 

(See next page) 




Scenes of Tampas Harbor. Showing Marine Activity and Cargo-Handling: Facilities 



